Automatic telephone switch



June 30, 1925.

O. F. FORSBERG AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SWITCH Filed May 1, 1923 Patented June 30, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1 1,543,667 PATENTL OFFICE.

OSCAR F. FORSBER/G', OF YONKERS, NEW YORK,ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SWITCH.

Application filed May 1,

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, OSCAR F. Fonsnnnc, a citizen of the United States, residin at Yonkers, in the county of lVestchester, k. tate of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Telephone Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to automatic and semi-automatic telephone switches. More particularly, it refers to improvements in switching devices of the type described in British Patent 183,438 to \Vcstern Electric Company, Limited, accepted September 6, 1923; wherein certain selecting and operat ing bars areprovided for selectively operating a number of normally disengaged sets of active and passive contacts.

In switching devices of the type above referred to, it is desirable to prevent. the overthrow of the operating bars when actuated by their magnets, and to support them in adjusted position relative to their cooper ating parts in case of the removal of their electromagnetic operating means for adjustment or repairs.

The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide checking means whereby the angular distance ofeach operating bar is limited in order to prevent damage which would otherwise occur due to the momentum imparted thereto by the energization of the operating magnets, and the utilization of said means for supporting the bars in adjusted position on the switch frame independently of their operating mechanism.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a stop plate whereby the stroke of the magnets may be adjusted independently and without disturbing the adjustment of the operating bars, and the provision of stopping and supporting members on said plate for arresting the operating bars and lifting fingers thereon in their operated position, and for supporting the arms, connected with the armatures of the operating magnets, when said magnets are removed from the switch frame.

Other features of invention and advantages will appear from the following description, and by the claims appended there to, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which: y

Fig. 1 is a top sectional view of said switch, Fig. 2 is a right-hand side view 1923. Serial No. 635,904.

thereof, Fig. is a sectional view taken along line 3- -3 of F iigs. 1 and 2 looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the stop plate arranged on its supporting member,

and Fig. 4 is a partialassembly view of a set of passive and active contacts showing a card and activecontacts therein in normal non-operated position.

The switching structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 generally comprises a plurality of normallydisengaged passive and active contact. sets arranged in coordinate rows on insulating supports 10, 11,.etc., arranged on the switchframe (not shown). Each active contact set generally comprises a number of wires 12, 13 and 14, associated with a con responding number of contact wires 15, 16 and 17, which are preferably interwoven with a number of insulating weft bars 18 in the shape of a grid. For each active contact set 12, 1.3, 14-, etc., there is-provided an operating card 19 having obliquely disposed apertures 20, 21 and 22 shown in Fig. 4,, in which the active contact wires protrude in juxtaposition with their associated grid wires 15, 16 and 17 respectively. The cards 19 are slidably arranged in channels formed by T-shaped bars 23 arranged on the sup porting plate 24. The cards 19 are held in normal non-operated position by means of retracting springs 25, which extend through apertures 26 in the lower end portion of the cards 19, and arranged to normally rest on the lower edges of windows 27 cut out of the supporting plate 24.

For each vertical row of active. contacts thereis provided a rotatable bar 28 on which a number of cumming members 29 are securely arranged. On one end of each bar '28, there is provided a laterally extending arm 30 which is disposed in operating relation with the arm 31 of an armature 31', adapted to rotate the bar 28 in response to each energiz'ation of electro-magnet For each set of grid wires 15, 16 and 17, there is provided a rotatable bar 33 carrying a number of pivot-ally arranged lifting fingers 34 which are each associated with a set of active contacts 12, 13 and 14 and a cam 29. The bars 33 are arranged by pairs and the bars of each pair are pivotally arranged on two supporting plates 35 held securely on upright supports such as 36 and 37 on two opposite sides of the switch frame. For the sake of clearness, however, only one plate 35 is shown in Fig. 1. On eaehsupporting plate 35, there is tixedly arranged 'anoperating eleetromagnet 40 and a pivotable armature it) secured to an L-shaped arm ell which normally rests on an adjustable support 42 of plate 35. An arm a3 is fixedly ar ranged on the bar 33 and extending therefrom across the arm it is held in operative relation thereon b v meanso't a retractile spring ll hooked on the "free end portion of arm sit-3 and on an adjustahle arm 42'. A strip t5 securely attached onthe uprigl'it support 37 by means of a number of screws to. 4:7, ete, and on it is provided a number of Stopping members l8, it), etc. The stops -t9 are adapted to support the bars 33 in adjustedposition on the switeh'tranie independently ol their L-shaped operating arms -1, whereby the stroke of eachmagnet ma be adjusted inde 'iendently of and without disturbing the adjustment of its assoeiated operating bar. The stops lS are each associated with a bar 33 and are adapted to limit the movei'nentoi the bars and lifting lingers thereon in order to prevent'them "trom crossing over their operating position when actuated by their operatii magnets.

lVh-at is claimed is:

1. In a switching deviee, the Combination oi an operating bar, an armature loosely connected therewith, a magnet for actuating said bar through av movement of said armature, a stop plate, and ehecking n'iembers thereonadapted to limit the movement of said bar in two direetions.

2. In a switehing device, the combination of a frame, a rotatable bar ar'ranged thereon,

a laterally extending arm secured on said bar. an armature inoperating relatioirwith said arm and loosel ronnected tl'ierewith, a magnet for aetuatmg said bar through a movement of said armature, and members on said-frame for sto ping said bar within a defined angular distance.

3. In aswitching device, the eombimition of a frame, a reciprocating bar arranged thereon, an arm carried by said bar, means for limiting the movement of said bar, independent of its actuating meehanisn'i, said means eomprising'ia plate attached to said frame, a stop thereon in the path of said arm to stop the bar at the end ofitsnseful stroke, another stop for supporting said bar in normal non-operated position:

4. In a switching device, the combination ot a 't'ran'ie, aplur'ality ot' rotatable bars arranged" thereon, a magnet armature associated with'tarclrot said bars, electromaglu-tic means for operating'said armature, a stop plate arranged-on 'said'tr-ame and common to said bars, a plurality of laterally extending arms on said'plate for preventing the overthrow of'eaclrof said bars when-actuated by said magnets, and means on said plate for supporting said bars in their resetted po sition.

in a switching device, the combination of a bar, an arm"attaehed'on one end ot said bar, an armature in operating relation there'- with, a magnet for operating 'said bar through 'a movement of said armature, a stop plate disposed at right angles relative to said bar, a laterally extending arm thereon preventingthe overthrow of said bar, an arm disposed at right angles to the lirst mentioned arm for supporting said bar when its operating armature is removed from the switch frame;

In witnesswhereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 28th day of April A. 1)., 192;).

OSCAR F. FURSBE-RG. 

